Male and female inflorescences similar or dissimilar, spike-like, raceme-like or panicle-like; flowers separate or in dense or open clusters, small. Female perianth usually larger than male, hardened in fruit; tepals free or fused, all similar or the outer tepals thinner. Outer stamens sometimes inserted on rim of perianth tube; inner inserted on perianth, close to or distant from the outer, their filaments ± different in length. Ovary ± sessile; ovule 1 per loculus; style short.

Mature and undamaged leaf tips distinctly toothed either with 2 marginal teeth and a clean sinus (longer or shorter than marginal teeth) or with 3 distinct teeth and small marginal teeth, irregularly disposed near the apex, with the central tooth clearly a sinus, or small marginal teeth exceeding 2 lateral teeth

Leaves not distinctly toothed at apex, with entire, acute or rounded apex, or with 2 or 3 irregular minute points near the apex eroding at maturity, occasionally persisting in Lomandra filiformis subsp. filiformis and L. coriacea

Stems decumbent, prostrate or ascending; male inflorescence branched or unbranched, usually 10 cm long; male scape usually not exposed above leaf bases or rarely exposed up to 2.5 cm; leaves usually 8–20 cm long, up to 4 times as long as male inflorescence, leaf apex shortly acute to rounded-truncate